The Weatherford Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Weatherford Spanish Group, which share a worship building, welcomed the community to a grand reopening celebration on Oct. 17.
The celebration took place at 600 W. Davis Ave. in Weatherford, Okla. Oklahoma Conference President Daniel Ortega delivered the morning message, and a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony immediately followed the service. City leaders, families, neighbors, and students from Southwestern Oklahoma State University had been invited to attend.
The reopening followed extensive rebuilding after a devastating attic fire caused structural and smoke damage, forcing the building to close three years earlier. From the earliest days of recovery, members from both congregations chose hope over discouragement, praying and working together to restore their shared worship space.
David and Kathy Patrick, a husband-and-wife team from Arlington, Wash., led the rebuilding effort, coordinating contractors and work crews and working alongside members through every phase of the restoration. Church members Roscoe and Virginia Howard organized teams from both congregations to assist the contractors. And Pastor Barry Smith and his wife, Jasmine, devoted countless Sundays to hands-on labor—sweeping, wiping, and vacuuming construction dust from the sanctuary.
Home2 Suites in Weatherford also supported the rebuilding effort by offering discounted suite rates, allowing out-of-town contractors to stay locally during the most intensive phases of the rebuild.
With the building restored, members are turning their attention to community outreach. A recently launched cooking school drew an overflow crowd of 21 people, including eight visitors, on its first evening.
The program combined plant-based cooking demonstrations, health education, and fellowship. Participants sampled a Greek okra dish made with homegrown okra and a cranberry smoothie. They also learned about the nutritional value of pumpkin seeds and received samples. Music and a new Scripture-memorization program added a spiritual dimension to the evening. One guest helped wash dishes and sweep the floor afterward, an unexpected blessing to the church family.
For members, the cooking school was a sign that God was already breathing new life into their ministry. Another class was scheduled for Oct. 12, several days ahead of the grand reopening.
Both congregations celebrated the church’s restoration and look forward to continuing to serve Weatherford in English and Spanish with hospitality, compassion, and Christ-centered ministry.